Is it a coincidence that most of the planets fall within the Titius-Bode law's boundaries?

JOHN RICCIARELLI, MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS

Published: Sunday, October 01, 2006

In 1766, Johann Daniel Titius of Wittenberg discovered a numerical progression that roughly matched the orbital distances of the known planets  Mercury through Saturn. In 1772, Johann Elert Bode of Berlin published the progression. When William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781, the planet fit in the number series. This addition provided further evidence for the Titius-Bode law, which was widely accepted in the astronomical community until Neptune's discovery in 1846. Neptune broke the "law." So, yes, it's just a coincidence that most of the planets fall within the Titius-Bode law distances.

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